Although it has declined in recent years, car theft still means sleepless nights for owners, especially when it comes to outdated models. According to statistics, historically, Spain ranks third in the highest car theft rate in Europe, behind only Italy and the United Kingdom. In fact, the Interior Ministry estimates that more than 100 vehicles are stolen every day.
Tips to Prevent Car Theft
No one wants their car stolen, but sometimes the unthinkable happens, no matter how careful you are. Today’s cars have smart theft protection built in, such as the immobilizer, which prevents the engine from starting without the original key nearby. However, keep in mind that: thieves are resourceful, hardworking and experienced people, so that they always have ideas for bypassing the theft protection in the car.
Sometimes they are helped by the car manufacturers themselves, especially if the above has a keyless access system that is easy to get around. What you have to do is make the thieves’ work as difficult as possible and also make it clear, so they give up and find another victim that is easier to hack. Therefore, this article is going to put more emphasis on the most important steps you can take to keep your vehicle safe.
The simplest is of course: keep your car keys in a safe place. This means they should stay away from the front door to avoid theft. This also makes it harder for the burglar to break into your home and grab it from you in a hurry without you noticing. To be more secure, place the keys in a tin box, which is also responsible for blocking the radio signals transmitted by these mobile devices; remember it is not a “normal” key.
On the other hand you have to love close the car windows completelywhen you are not in themeven if you are in the middle of a hot summer day. This will reduce the chances of thieves breaking the window to get into your vehicle. An open window is also a tempting opportunity for a thief, almost as good as leaving your car with the keys in the car. The more hermetic everything is when you’re not there to see it, the better.
Logically, it makes no sense to lock the windows if the vehicle doors are left open. Your duty as a car owner is: make sure the doors are closed at all times, even if you drive the car circulating through the city; You don’t know how many times a criminal has tried to rob a vehicle with the driver in it. Open doors are like an open invitation to thieves, just as you do half your job.
You need to develop the habit of leave the car in gear (or in position “P” if automatic) and with the wheels facing the sidewalk. The added benefits of using this measure, in addition to making the vehicle more difficult to tow, prevents the vehicle from moving in the event of a collision or when parking on a slope. Because parking in a safe place helps enormously, and nothing deters thieves better than a well-lit and guarded place.
Garages and closed parking spaces they’re even better, but they’re harder to find. It’s not such a bad idea to use a steering wheel lock (commonly known as a “dog”) to immobilize your car. Make it as visible as possible and the thieves will look away. This is because removing any of these is incredibly difficult and time-consuming, so it’s just not worth the effort.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should never leave valuables in plain sight. Even if it’s worthless, don’t count on the thief doing the math. It’s best to keep everything in the trunk, even if it’s just a coat.
Last but not least, consider: use a tracking device to locate your car in the unfortunate event of theft, as offered by many smartphones. Of course, this won’t stop thieves from stealing it, but it will give you a better chance of getting the car back. Without a tracking system, it is much more difficult for authorities to locate your lost vehicle.
As you imagine, these tips are only good if you drive a normal car, with a moderate value. Thieves will do anything if the car’s value is high enough to justify the effort and they’ve pointed it out to you. In this case, it only helps to have good insurance. Because, as it was said in a server’s house, all precautions are small, but if someone wants to rob you, most likely they will. It’s up to you how hard you make it.
